Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we gather the most noteworthy moves in periodic round‑ups, giving industry professionals a single place to see who’s joining which studio, who’s moving on, and where talent is shifting.
If your organization has recent appointments or transitions that belong in this list, please forward the name of the individual, the new title and company, as well as the previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. **Tim Coombs – Head of Brand Marketing, Amazon Luna** Tim Coombs has been named the head of brand marketing for Amazon’s cloud‑gaming service, Luna.
Coombs spent the previous four years at Microsoft’s Xbox division, where he rose to director of brand management before leaving in July 2026. He originally joined Xbox in 2020 as a senior manager for brand strategy, helping shape the console’s public image and messaging. Before his Xbox tenure, Coombs worked for Amazon’s game‑related tools. In 2017 he took on the role of product marketing manager for Amazon Lumberyard, the company’s now‑retired game engine.
He later became senior product marketing manager and team lead for Amazon Game Tech, a position he held until April 2020. His blend of experience in both engine technology and consumer‑facing branding makes him a strong fit for steering Luna’s market presence. **Erik Mogensen – Departed Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast** After three years as senior director of business development for digital gaming at Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary, Erik Mogensen has exited the company. Prior to that, he devoted 23 years to Games Workshop, culminating in the role of head of business development and consumer‑product licensing.
In his own words, Mogensen reflected on the privilege of working on his favorite brands: “It’s not lost on me how special it’s been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands – from the original Warhammer to recent titles like Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers. I’m very much looking forward to my next chapter, wherever that may be.” **Ryan Rubin – Senior Producer, Blizzard Entertainment** Ryan Rubin has joined Blizzard Entertainment as a senior producer. Rubin’s most recent experience was at Netflix, where he served as senior producer on two mobile releases: *Squid Game: Unleashed* and *Selling Sunset*. Earlier in his career he spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the expansive League of Legends intellectual property.
**Andrey Odintsov – Head of Marketing, Battlestate Games** Andrey Odintsov steps into the head of marketing role at Battlestate Games. He previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and currently works as an independent consultant focusing on growth and go‑to‑market strategies for game publishers. **Dan Lazarides – Chief Marketing Officer, Frontier Developments** Dan Lazarides has been appointed CMO of Frontier Developments.
Before joining Frontier, he was senior vice president of marketing for Sega Europe. He succeeds Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO position at Frontier in January. Cooke praised Lazarides, stating, “We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings a wealth of experience from some of the industry’s largest IPs.
His leadership will sustain our upward momentum and reinforce our player‑first strategy, ensuring our publishing team champions creativity and celebrates how players engage with our games.” **Karen Ionescu – Digital Sales Manager, Kalypso Media UK** Karen Ionescu is now the digital sales manager at Kalypso Media UK. Her background includes a sales‑manager role at Numskull Games and prior positions at Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson commented, “Karen brings extensive commercial expertise and long‑standing relationships across retail and digital channels, making her a fantastic addition to the team.” **Hannah Barrett – Senior Account Executive, Swipe Right** Hannah Barrett earned a promotion to senior account executive at the esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right. She originally joined the firm as an account executive in December 2025.
**Anni Pyy – Contract Manager, Supercell** Supercell has brought on Anni Pyy as contract manager. Pyy spent four years handling contracts at Metacore before making the move. **Nathan Solbrandt – SVP of Business Development, ZBD** Nathan Solbrandt assumes the role of senior vice president of business development at fintech platform ZBD.
He previously worked as a senior account executive at Motorica and served as vice president of business development for the Americas at Xsolla. **Olivia Lee – Internal Events Producer, Riot Games** Olivia Lee joins Riot Games as internal events producer, after serving as associate producer for internal events and programs.
**Ciarah Pritchard – Account Coordinator, Xsolla** Ciarah Pritchard takes on the account coordinator position at Xsolla, having previously been an account performance manager at Playback Rewards. **Tracey Thompson – Vice President of Communications, Bethesda** Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as VP of communications. Her first stint at the studio began in 2009 as director of publications, later advancing to associate VP of communications.
She left in 2019 for Electronic Arts, where she headed product and studio integrated communications. Thompson said, “I’m looking forward to partnering with the talented people across Bethesda and Xbox, supporting the teams behind some of the most iconic franchises in entertainment, and helping bring their creativity and vision to players around the world.” **Maddie Richter – Social Media Marketing Manager, Nintendo of America** Maddie Richter has been appointed social media marketing manager for Nintendo of America. Before joining Nintendo, she managed social media for Alaska Airlines. **Dana Duffield – Narrative Designer, Yotta Games** Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a narrative designer after serving as senior narrative designer at Series Entertainment.
**Yogscast Games – New Hires** Yogscast Games announced three new team members: - Charlotte Willis, PR and influencer manager, formerly creator and community director at Diva Agency. - Robin Mawhinney, production coordinator, previously a junior producer at Atelier 11. - Charlotte Pang, publishing coordinator, who has experience as a producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and has taught game design, animation, and coding at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone. **Steffen Holm & Chris Kruger – Roblox Foundation AI Team** Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger have joined Roblox’s Foundation AI team to support the mobile‑first AI creation tool “Build in New Zealand.” The duo co‑founded Jars AI, an interactive AI platform, in 2023 and raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors.
Holm remarked, “At Jars AI we saw hundreds of thousands of creators use AI to shape weird new worlds and stories, and we’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries of AI entertainment in our new roles.” **Sathvik Sudireddy – Marketing Manager, Live Services, Rockstar Games** Sathvik Sudireddy becomes marketing manager for live services at Rockstar Games. He previously worked as a product manager on *Call of Duty* at Activision after completing an internship in business development at the developer. **Joe Chard – Lead Product Manager, Netflix Games** Joe Chard has been named lead product manager for Netflix Games.
Prior to Netflix, Chard held the titles of vice president, studio general manager, and head of product at Jam City for six years, and also occupied senior gaming roles at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Entertainment. These moves illustrate the fluid nature of talent within the gaming ecosystem, where seasoned veterans and emerging leaders alike continue to shape the future of interactive entertainment.